Last Thursday, while the GOP's presidential candidates were getting ready for yet another debate to tout the failed policies they'd try to return to the White House, OFA Iowa's volunteer leaders were just a few minutes away at our Sioux City office to do what they've been doing for months: reaching out to their friends and neighbors asking them to attend the upcoming Iowa caucuses.

But they were also there for the opportunity to hear from DNC Vice-Chair R.T. Rybak. Rybak, who is also the Mayor of Minneapolis, was in town for the debate and wanted the opportunity to talk with the local volunteers about the Obama 2012 campaign. However, Mayor Rybak had quite a surprise in store for the folks at the office. After finishing his remarks and answering some questions from the audience, he held up his phone and told the crowd that someone wanted to say hello. It was immediately clear who that someone was: President Obama.

Listen to the call:

The local organizer, Blair, summed up what was without a doubt, the highlight of the call.

The best part was to hear from the President himself when he said "we have the best-organized campaign in Iowa," because what we're doing is unique. No presidential re-election campaign has ever organized around an uncontested caucus the way we are right now. And it's not something that ends on January 3rd, this is all part of training and empowering local leaders to continue organizing their own neighborhoods and building teams that will be on the ground and ready for next November's election.

One of the things that we hear most often from volunteers about what they like about being a part of the campaign in their community is the fact that there's a place for anyone and everyone who wants to be a part of it. One Sioux City family exemplifies that more than any other, the Munsons. Corey, the family patriarch, who was involved from the earliest days of the Obama 2008 campaign, discussed this unique atmosphere that was present when he first got involved and has carried over into the current campaign.

Everybody in the family feels like they've got a role in this, and it's a role they're comfortable with. Not everyone is comfortable with picking up a phone and calling 50 people a night. They may feel more comfortable coming in and shredding paper or cleaning up around the office. I think that's the truly unique thing about this campaign, everyone really does have a spot at the table, and it's something that makes everyone feel comfortable, but more importantly makes everyone feel included.